Black & Veatch's ACT Supports Utility Transformation

Black & Veatch on June 25 announced a new, proprietary service offering that will help energy and water utilities quickly align their organizations with the rapidly changing business climate.

Accelerated Corporate Transformation (ACT) was developed by former Harvard Professor Robert H. Miles, Ph.D., senior adviser to the company, who will lead the ACT methodology process for clients. ACT has been tailored to specifically support utilities by Enterprise Management Solutions (EMS), the management consulting division of the company.

“We foresee a fundamental utility industry transformation on the horizon,” stated Rodger Smith, president of EMS. “Major factors include significant new laws and regulations, a restructured financial environment, greater constraints on rate increases during the global economic recovery, as well as rapid advances in technology. These forces may introduce more change than many organizations currently have the capacity to absorb.”

ACT initially identifies the primary goals that support the utility’s business success and pinpoints specific activities supporting those goals. The methodology’s strength comes from processes that rapidly disseminate goals and actions through the entire organization.

“The Accelerated Corporate Transformation methodology provides the catalyst for rapid organizational alignment,” said Bill Kemp, solution set lead for Black & Veatch’s Business Strategy and Planning practice. “ACT can help a new CEO take charge of a company, quickly realign entities following a merger or acquisition, and focus the enterprise on successfully delivering a major project or initiative.”